Reel construction



July 22, 1947. NELSON 2,424,413

' REEL CONSTRUCT'ION Original Filed Oct. 19, 1942 ATI'U R N EYS PatentedJuly 22, 1947 2,424,413 REEL CONSTRUCTION Bruce G. Nelson, Tacoma, Wash.

Original application October 19, 1942, Serial No.

462,569. Divided and this application February 3, 1944, Serial No.520,937

2- Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in reel construction generally, andmore particularly to a power driven type thereof for facilitatin thewinding of flexible sewer and drain cleaners, i. e., augers, and hasamong its objects and advantages the provision of a novel form ofwatertight reel to house the auger in a manner to trap water drippingtherefrom as the same is wound upon the reel, in combination with a likeform of supporting frame for the reel and a simplified and efiicientdrive for rotating the reel to impart rotary motion to the flexible rod.

This application is a division of my application for patent on Tubecleaner, Serial No. 462,569, filed October 19, 1942.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view.

Figure 2 is a side view.

Figure 3 is a sectional view.

Figure 4 is an end view of a cutting tool attached to one end of theflexible rod, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side View of the cutting tool showing cuttingteeth thereon.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, I make useof an elongated frame In having end ortions of different widths, withinwhich is mounted a rotary reel l2, This reel is supported on a post I4bolted at [6 to a plate 18 secured crosswise of the bottom side of theframe It, adjacent the inner end of the narrower portion thereof. Abearing shell 20 is bolted at 22 to a circular bottom 24 of the reel ID,to seat over the post 14. Races 26 are provided on the post [4 and thecap 20 for ball bearings 28. The shell 20 is coaxial with the bottom 24,and is held against accidental separation from the post I4 by means of apin 30 projecting from the top of the latter, the pin being looselypassed through an opening 32 in the shell and provided with a nut 34.

An annular wall 36 is fixed to the bottom 24 by a flange 38 attached tothe bottom by screws 40 and in a manner to have a watertight fit aboutthe joint, so that the reel constitutes a receptacle for a flexibleelement or cable 42, which has one of its ends fixed at 44 to the wall36 and is normally coiled inside the reel in the manner shown in Figure3. This cable is loosely trained coaxially with an opening thereinthrough an annular guide 46 mounted on a plate 48, the latter beingsecured crosswise of the top members 50 of the frame l0. Beneath and inline with the guide 4 6 is arranged a second annular guide 52 of aconsiderably greater diameter than the guide 46 and it is mountedcentrally on a spider -54 secured on the top edge of the wall 36.

-A motor 56 is bolted to a plate 58, secured,

crosswise of vertical members '60 at the wider end of the frame l0 andis positioned to dispose its shaft 62 vertically; a grooved drive pulley6 4 being keyed on its lower end, with a belt 66 trained about the sameand about the annular wall 36 of the reel, adjacent the flange 38.

In operation, rotation of the reel l2 imparts rotary motion to theflexible rod 42 as it is advanced in the sewer pipe or other duct beingcleaned. In some cases it may be desirable to employ a cutter 0n theflexible element 42. Such a cutter is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and iscomprised in a spirally shaped blade -68 having its inner end attachedto the free end of the rod 42. This blade is preferably formed offlexible material and provided with cutting teeth 10 along its twoedges.

The watertight construction of the reel l2 effectively traps anydrippage of Water or waste accumulations, from the flexible element" asit is withdrawn from the cleaned pipe and coiled within the reel.

A reel, such as that shown, is obviously simple in design, durable inconstruction, and eflicient in operation to effect the desired rotary,i. e., twisting, motion to the flexible element during the unwindingthereof, as well as a uniform coiling of the same within the reel bodywhile it is being wound.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain myinvention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, an elongated frame having endportions of different widths, a post rising from the bottom of saidframe adjacent the inner end of the narrower portion thereof, a reel inthe form of a hollow open topped body mounted for rotation on said post,said reel body having an impervious flat circular bottom wall and acylindrical side wall, an annular guide mounted on the top side of saidframe, a spider supported on the top edge of said side wall, a secondannular guide supported centrally of said spider and coaxially withrespect to the first named guide and said post, a flexible elementhaving substantial length adapted to be coiled about the inner side ofsaid side wall, one end of said element being secured to said side walland its other end trained outwardly through said guides, an electricmotor mounted within the wider portion of said frame with its rotorshaft vertically disposed, and a driving connection between said rotorshaft and said reel body, the narrower end of said frame extendingbeyond the latter.

2. The invention as defined in claim I, with a flat plate securedcrosswise of the bottom of said frame and supporting said post, a secondflat plate secured crosswise of the top of said frame and supporting thefirst named guide in spaced relation with respect to said second guide,a bearing shell carried by the bottom wal l of said reel body and seatedover said post, and anti-friction bearings interposed between said shelland the post.

,I Number BRUCE G. NELSON. 2223005 5 2,292,713 REFERENCES CITED2,284,939 The following references are of record in the 1,815,532

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kerber Nov. 26, 1940 O'Leary Aug. 11,1942 Asnard June 2, 1942 Vesey July 21, 1931

